The present invention relates to paper towel dispensing apparatus and methods and, more specifically, to apparatus and methods that allow discrete paper towels to be dispensed in predetermined lengths from a continuous roll of paper towel material.
Paper towels are often supplied in areas accessible to the general public. Dispensers for such paper towels are of two basic types. The first type contains a stack of discrete sheets of paper towels arranged such that, when the user pulls one sheet, the next sheet becomes available for the next user. The second type contains a continuous roll of paper towel material from which discrete sheets are cut or torn. The present invention relates to this second type of paper towel dispenser in which the paper towel material is provided in a continuous roll.
When paper towels are dispensed from a continuous roll, the dispenser will usually control or meter the dispensing process such that the user cannot dispense more than a predetermined amount of paper towel material in a given dispensing cycle. This metering feature prevents the user from dispensing the entire roll, wasting the paper towel material and leaving nothing for subsequent users.
One type of metered paper towel dispenser employs a lever that allows the roll to be rotated or advanced a predetermined amount. The advanced paper towel material extends out of the machine. When the user believes that a sufficient amount of paper towel material is exposed, the user grasps the exposed towel material and pulls against a cutting blade within the dispenser. The blade cuts off the exposed portion, leaving a paper towel in the user""s hands for use. Lever-type paper towel dispensers create the possibility of cross-contamination between users because each user must grasp the same point (the lever handle) on the machine to advance the paper towel material.
Another type of metered paper towel dispenser employs an automatic cutting device. At least a small amount of paper towel material extends from the dispenser at all times. The user grasps the exposed towel material and pulls downward. The paper extends at least partly around a dispensing drum and turns the dispensing drum when the user pulls the material. The cutting device cuts the towel material at a certain point during the revolution of the dispensing drum such that a paper towel of a predetermined length is left in the user""s hand and a small amount of paper towel material is exposed for the next user.
Metered paper towel dispenser with automatic cutting devices are relatively complex but greatly reduce the possibility of cross-contamination between users. Each user need only grasp the paper towel material to be dispensed, and not touch the dispenser, to obtain a paper towel. The present invention relates to such paper towel dispensers with automatic cutting devices.
The automatic cutting devices employed by paper towel dispensers can be relatively expensive to manufacture. In addition, the complexity of these cutting devices raises the possibilities of mechanical failure and jamming of the towel material within the dispenser. The need thus exists for inexpensive and reliable metered paper towel dispenser with an automatic cutting device.
From the foregoing, it should be apparent that a primary object of the present invention is to provide improved paper towel dispensing apparatus and methods.
Another more specific object of the present invention is to provide a paper towel dispenser having a favorable mix of the following characteristics:
Reduces the possibility of cross-contamination between users;
Dispenses paper towels in predetermined lengths from a continuous roll of paper towel material;
Minimizes the likelihood that the paper towel material will become jammed within the machine; and
Can be manufactured at reasonable cost.
The present invention is a sheet material dispensing system that dispenses portions of sheet material from a roll of sheet material. The roll is mounted within an enclosure above a drum. The drum contains a cutting assembly that moves between retracted and cutting positions relative to the drum. An actuator assembly causes the cutting assembly to move between the retracted and cutting positions as the drum rotates. Sheet material on the roll is pulled from the dispensing system and frictionally engages the drum to rotate the drum about a drum axis. The actuator assembly causes the cutting assembly to cut the sheet material once each revolution of the drum such that the sheet material is dispensed in portions of a predetermined size. In the preferred system, the sheet material is a paper towel material and the dispensed portions are used as paper towels.
The system of the present invention inhibits cross-contamination between users by eliminating the need for users to touch the same object during normal use. The present system is reliable, relatively easy to fabricate and service, and does not allow the entire roll to be dispensed in one long sheet.